Welcome to Neurological Patient Database

Our researchers are committed to advancing brain research in Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas.

The Neurological Patient Database (NPD) is located at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. This project received initial funding from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. The purpose for building the Neurological Patient Database is to enhance the recruitment of patients into current and upcoming research studies at the University of Waterloo.

News

Your elation about being unshackled from work has worn off. It’s too darn hot out to do anything. The kids are bugging you to keep them occupied. Even the dog seems listless. Welcome to the summer doldrums.

With a wide-open calendar and no pressing tasks to complete, you may find yourself feeling a little lethargic. But are you bored?

Long ignored by scientists, feeling is linked to anxiety, depression, binge eating

Kate Allen, Science & Technology Reporter

The research subjects are asked to watch a video of two men hanging laundry. Or another on how to make concrete. They might be asked to transcribe the references from an academic article, or take a phone book and cross out every letter “a.”

In all cases, the experiment is seemingly simple: to induce boredom.

“You just want to poke your eyes out,” says John Eastwood, a professor of psychology at York University.

People who suffer traumatic brain injury (TBI) are prone to boredom. This may sound like something to yawn over, but those who experience significant boredom are more likely to show aggressive behaviour and have lower self-control, according to researchers at the University of Waterloo.